AXIS – Frank 110L Mako 2 Downwind Carbon foilboard 8’7″ x 17.25″

MAKO 2. Everything you liked about the MAKO, just easier, faster and more capable.

The original MAKO set the benchmark for stability and easy paddle-ups. Rather than reinvent it, Frank focused on the details, and the details add up.

The MAKO 2 is faster, more stable and releases earlier, which matters most with the smaller, faster high-aspect foils many of us now ride. A new nose profile, revised rocker and a refined bottom shape help acceleration and make touchdowns forgiving. A slightly wider outline and a reworked deck give a more direct connection to the foil and more control once you are up.

Five sizes from 90 to 130 litres, all in AXIS carbon construction.

MAKO 2 110, 8’7″ x 17.25″

The all-conditions board for riders around 80 to 95 kg, and the safe pick for anyone still learning to read bumps. Stable on the knees, easy to balance in a crosswind, and still quick to release with the new nose. Race it with a Tempo 1020 to 1090, ride everything with a Fireball 1160 to 1350, or surf it with any Surge, sized to the bumps rather than the board.

Which foil goes under it

Three AXIS families make sense under a MAKO 2, and each gives the board a different job.

• Tempo. The fastest and most race-oriented foils in the range. Tempo under a MAKO 2 is the combination for winning high-end races and for going as fast as a downwind board will go.
• Surge. The surf wing. Surge under a MAKO 2 is for pure wave riding and for the kind of downwinding where you hunt bumps and surf them. Surges are very easy to ride, and any Surge size works with any MAKO 2: an 890 under a 120 or a 950 under a 90 are both good setups. The new Surge 1240 is the easiest foil in the range to get flying, which makes it the one to learn downwind on under a MAKO 2 120 or 130.
• Fireball. The balance between the two. Fast, but not Tempo fast. Turns well, but without the Surge’s explosive surf feel. The Fireball is the all-rounder for riders who want one foil for downwind days, lighter days and everything in between.

What changed from the original MAKO

• Nose and volume. Slightly more volume toward the nose, still balanced. The new distribution and nose shape mean a hard pop-up rarely pushes the nose under.
• Bottom shape and rocker. New on both counts, for speed, stability and release. The board releases earlier and touches down more forgivingly.
• Deck. Reshaped to reduce thickness in the standing area, for a more direct feel under your feet.
• Length and width. Both up, to suit the Tempo and today’s higher aspect foils. Once on foil, the extra width gives more leverage over the foil in turns and more control at speed.

What comes with it

• Nose and tail protectors, fitted. The two places a downwind board gets knocked are covered from day one.
• A downwind-specific board bag, sized for this board. Heavily padded, shaped for a long, narrow board rather than a surfboard. Included, not an add-on.

Semi-custom carbon construction

Every MAKO 2 is built the way Frank has built boards in Maui for years: semi-custom, not moulded. Each one starts as a shaped blank, hand laminated in carbon over a shaped core, then finished and checked by a small crew working to Frank’s masters. It is the process a custom shaper uses, run in small batches, so you get a production price with a custom board’s weight, stiffness and finish.

The range